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$199

Conclusion: We're mixed

Amazon deserves a lot of credit for coming up with the first sub-$200 tablet that may actually be worth buying. However, while the Kindle Fire does a great job of connecting to the Amazon media ecosystem, it's limited by a paltry 8GB of storage, a so-so web browser, and a poky processor. It's edged by Barnes & Noble's Nook Tablet, which offers expandable storage and a sharper display for the same price.

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Critic reviews

7.2
8 reviews
  • Features
    7.2
  • Display
    6.9
  • Battery life
    7.1
  • Ease of use
    7.6
  • Storage capacity
    6.0
  • Design and form factor
    7.5
  • Portability (size / weight)
    8.0
  • Durability

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User reviews

8.0
72 reviews

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7.0
Engadget Nov 14, 2011

The Kindle Fire is quite an achievement at $200. It's a perfectly usable tablet that feels good in the hand and has a respectably good looking display up front.

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8.0
PC Mag Nov 14, 2011

The Kindle Fire is one of a kind, at least this week. It's the first affordable, easy-to-use general-purpose tablet. It doesn't replace the Apple iPad: It complements the iPad, which is bigger, more powerful, more expensive, and has far more apps.

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8.0
Gizmodo Nov 14, 2011

If you like what Amazon Prime has going on in the kitchen, the Fire is a terrific seat. It's not as powerful or capable as an iPad, but it's also a sliver of the price—and that $200 will let you jack into the Prime catalog (and the rest of your media collection) easily and comfortably.

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8.0
Laptop Magazine Nov 14, 2011

The Kindle Fire isn't an iPad killer, but it is a killer deal. At $199, it's really hard to beat the package Amazon has put together. Assuming you're willing to carry a smaller 7-inch device, it combines an easy-to-use interface and one-tap access to loads of content in a well-built design.

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7.0
New York Times Nov 13, 2011

The Fire deserves to be a disruptive, gigantic force — it's a cross between a Kindle and an iPad, a more compact Internet and video viewer at a great price. But at the moment, it needs a lot more polish; if you're used to an iPad or "real" Android tablet, its software gremlins will drive you nuts.

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7.0
CNET Nov 13, 2011

In the world of tablets, there are great products and there are cheap products, but very few great, cheap products. ... for those of you unwilling to shell out $500 for an Apple iPad 2, and wary of buying a piece of junk, Amazon's $199 Kindle Fire tablet should be at the top of your wish list.

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5.0
Wired Nov 14, 2011

iPad killer? No, the Kindle Fire is not. And it doesn't even match the iPad in web browsing, the one area in which its hardware should have sufficient performance to compete.

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8.0
Chicago Sun-Times Nov 13, 2011

The Fire is a terrific media device, particularly for $199. Is it a halfway decent tablet computer as well? Mmm...probably not. Its user interface makes a clear statement about Amazon’s intentions. That said, it has a bunch of added features that makes it into much more than a reader.

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8.0
00quantameister

The Kindle Fire is a bare bones simplistic tablet with lots of potential. Just like the original iPad, it comes with plenty of flaws. Mostly because this is the very first generation of such a device. With the first one, you have to have an understanding that it has to be compared to other first...

6.0
iTuner99

Ok for sub $200 I got what I paid for Amazon, but I thought it would be so much better. The Android experience was simply a non-starter for me and all I could really do was consume video or book content. Using the web was slow and pointless depending upon where I was trying to go.

9.0
jethoman

It seems that either you really like this device or you think it is junk. I don't understand the nay sayers of this device. It shouldn't be compared to an iPad or other dedicated tablet. Its considerably smaller than the iPad, and lacks much of the signature components. (camera, bluetooth,...

9.0
OwenVersteeg

It's a pretty awesome device. I used it primarily for media until I was missing my laptop - at that point, the Fire became irreplaceable. I even used it to make parts of Kyo's Rock - play it at kyosrock.co.cc.

9.0
rmoore1463

The Fire is not a tablet, at least not in my opinion, but never the less it's a great device for $200. I have had 3 other tablets and this does not stack up, but if your an Amazon person, this is a useful device. As an Amazon person with a Prime Membership and a regular Kindle this device makes...

8.0
veelove

Only issue I have with the device is the lack of storage space. Gets a bti laggy on occasion but that's Android. Movies from Prime great on look great on the screen. Without a conection it is going to be a pretty subpar media device for video and maybe even music due to storage size.. Of course...

8.0
kanjisasahara

It does everything I want to do well. Reading books, streaming video, and catching up on news with the various apps. It lacks features in other tablets, but for the price and capability I can't ask for anything better. If you don't want or need the capabilities of an iPad but still need a tablet,...

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